My guide to a sustainable Congress has been put together to help delegates make environmentally-smart decisions at different stages of their trip to and stay in Barcelona. It is part of the IUCN’s effort to practice what it preaches at this year’s event on sustainability and conservation. The guide will hopefully get you thinking about how you can combine your own plans and interests with more sustainable forms of travel.
The Spanish and French version of the guide will be available shortly. …

IUCN is pleased to announce that the Congress Preparatory Committee decided to allow observers to attend meetings of contact groups during the Members' Assembly of the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The Congress will take place from 5 to 14 October, 2008, in Barcelona, Spain. …

Climate change is already happening – and it hits poor people most. The effect of more frequent hurricanes, floods and droughts on developing countries is devastating, as this year’s cyclone Nagris proved again in southern Myanmar, leaving over 130,000 people dead or missing.
To protect the world’s poor against today’s more frequent extreme weather events, some US$ 2 billion is required according to the Internacional relief agency Oxfam. However, commitments so far only total US$173.
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Three-hour long Learning Opportunities will equip non-business delegates to the IUCN World Conservation Congress with knowledge and skills to work with business on contributing to ecosystem management solutions. Each evening (6-8 October), four sessions will run in parallel on (1) business basics, (2) partnerships, (3) communication and (4) tools, using case examples from a wide variety of sectors including energy, agri-business, advertising and communication technology. … | Spanish

For a long while it looked odds-on that big international conference in Barcelona this autumn about the environment would find the Spanish host city deep in the grip of a water crisis triggered by its worst drought in 50 years. …

Will nature be safe sixty years from now? Has the world’s oldest and largest environmental network been instrumental in achieving its main goals? What will be the new focus of IUCN in 2068 -- conserving biodiversity or something that we cannot even imagine today? …

Fifty Learning Opportunities are offered to you as a fully registered delegate during the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Barcelona from 5 to 9 October 2008. These are interactive, skills-building workshops on topics ranging from ecosystem data collection, analysis and use, to the basics of working with business; from conflict resolution to online tools driving conservation action; from multilateral negotiation skills to techniques for accelerating change. Apply to participate now! More >> … | French | Spanish

The process for IUCN members to submit motions is now closed and we are pleased to announce that approximately 160 motions have been submitted. The list of the submitted motions is available here. Please note that the meeting of the Resolutions and Programme Working Groups to review the motions will take place on June 23-26. … | French | Spanish